Motivations For Choosing Trucking

Good story Nick ! I was kinda like that too, except followed step dad who raised me from 18 months old, as a lifetime mechanic. I started out on trash truck diesels for Waste Management, in L.A. County(Baldwin Park) Step dad worked there too by then, I left a job in a huge plating company in the auto polishing dept for 7 years. Fed up I walked off n quit 1 day, and 2 days later took the mechanic job. My step dad did lot of other things between, side gigs. Back in the early 70's he drove tour buses for his mom's boyfriend out of Gardena. And he also worked on the buses, as needed.

He actually took a tour to a game show with Bob Barker, where he saw Sirhan Sirhan 2 rows down, 2 days prior to shooting Kennedy.(recognized him from the tv news) So I worked on Cummins, IH, a few detroits, and Cat's, certified Cummins engines. While I did a stint working on Pepsi tractors, and having to move em around the yard (cab overs) I repaired everything on em front to back aside from in frame over hauls @ both jobs WM/Pepsi....

Moved to BHC Arizona in 1990 with a girlfriend, my 2 kids, her son. Wasn't any diesel jobs around besides Laidlaws @ a trash place. But they told me their max pay was $9 an hour HAHAHA like I'm gunna go from $20+ to 9? not! So local Ford dealer in Needles, Cal wanted a heavy line mechanic, so I got that job and worked on automotives from then on. Got bored with all the drama n crap, so I did a few things on my own at home or mobile mech there and back in Cali. I was burnt out after about 40+ years had thought about trucking and more so after finding this site. Life just got in my way and delayed me pulling the trigger.

My dad passed in 1997, mom lasted til 2012, so I finally got to the point to jump in trucking with both feet and just go for it. Knowing with my mechanic background the pre trips and all that was easy peasy to pass and do. I went to get trained for a mega too on my moms birthday in 9/9/2019. Once I got into it and was out there training OTR and slowly built up my income driving with my starter company in 22 months I went to another place for 4 months until my early retirement at 62.

I wished I had just got into trucking even a few years prior, as I really actually made more money driving a truck, than I EVER made turning wrenches!!

When I posted my first post, I didn't intend to start a conversation about training and the trucking industry. However, thank you to those who have weighed in on the topic, and for pointing out the weaknesses in my thinking.

Naenae, I appreciate what you wrote. I have very much scaled back my studies, precisely because of what you mentioned about being a distracted and dangerous driver. My trainer and a good friend helped me understand that early on. I think what I have taken on is manageable within the demands of the job. There is a lot of work ahead for me but I'm not in a rush.

On another point, my intention hasn't been to change the industry. As has been pointed out I really don't know much about the industry. But I have three decades of working with people in a huge variety of settings and that transcends all industries. A couple have mentioned the limitations of my friends input because of his lack of driving experience. If the intention was to create better dispatchers that would be valid. However, my friends experience has given a pretty clear indication that when drivers feel seen, respected and supported their company makes more money (that's true across most industries). True, not all drivers need that, but plenty do. That would be an interesting forum topic... Something like "would you have stayed on longer at your previous company if you have felt respected and supported?

I'll write more about my own story in another post but can mention that I didn't start with this idea in order to change the industry. My start was watching the emotional and mental toll the industry was taking on family and friends (I know a number of drivers very well). There is a need. I have skill that can help with that need. Now, as pointed out, will anyone pay me for that? No idea. But at the least I will make reasonable money to carry me into the next phase of my life, and I will gain a lot of experience.

I do need plenty of input from the drivers themselves so I welcome all the comments on here.

Mark, you make some thought provoking comments at times. That's great in a forum like this. I want to engage in this conversation deeper. Unfortunately, I'm covered up with a demanding schedule.

Please, check back in here later. I'll find some time this weekend when I can respond more fully.

Thanks to everyone who has shared their story, Steve, Dennis, Zen Joker, Nick and others.

I spent the first three decades of my working life volunteering for a cause that I can no longer believe in today. I stepped away from that at age 50 with zero; nothing financially and no training or education. So, I am 30 years behind. There will probably be no retirement for me so the one option I see is to work hard while my body is still able and be developing a business centered around something I can do into advanced age.

As it became more and more apparent that I wasn't going to be able to continue in the church (cult) that I was serving my thoughts began to turn to trucking. I have a brother who drives OTR and I've ridden with him on a number of trips. To me it was a quick training turn around into making better money than any other option. My original thought was to drive OTR and live in the truck with no rent or house payment. My plan got sidelined because I saw that my parents needed help to stay living in their own home, so I moved in with them for over a year before they needed to move into a senior living home. I was able to get my CDL at that time and took a job driving school bus as that gave me liberty to be available for trips to the doctors, shopping etc. And get home to get lunch and supper on the table.

I planned to then go OTR but I made the terrible strategic decision to fall in love ;-) and got married this past April and that put my OTR plans on hold. Now I'm driving regional in the northwest, mostly Washington, Oregon and Idaho out 5+ days and home for "weekends". Pushing pretty hard Monday thru Friday+ then a pretty hectic weekend and back on the road. Maxi loads so drop and tag axles for 8 axles total.

The company has taken really good care of me so far. I really enjoy driving and I also dislike being away from family so much. I don't know how long I will drive. I can make better money doing this than anything else for now, but I don't want to be away from home so much for too long. Maybe a local job after a year or so?

Hey Mark, you'd probably enjoy reading this conversation from our archives...

What did you do before becoming a truck driver?

You also might want to explore our CDL diaries. Many of us put down our motivations for starting there.

I made the switch after a lifetime in the trades. I had always loved trucks, and had driven a lot of equipment. I also raced motorcycles in many forms including road racing for years as well as cars.

I was burnt out on dealing with people and builders and wanted freedom that I wasn't getting out of running my own business yet I wanted something that closely resembled the autonomy of being a business owner. I also wanted something that performance dictates the pay as I most of my life, that's how I've worked. I inherently understand piecework pay and thrive in it.

The first sunrise in the dessert that first time I drove a semi in school keeps me going.

My motivation was pretty simple in the beginning. I needed a better paying job and didn't want to dedicate years of my life to a degree. Getting my CDL allowed me to do just that in only a few short months.

I want to touch on the training part for a second though. Are you talking more about training for a brand new CDL holder or for a person with plenty of driving experience going to a new company? Because I'm guessing a lot of times the training between these two types of people will look very different.

I think if you want to learn a lot about what companies are doing right in terms of training you need to start at the top. Research the safest companies in the nation and find out what they are doing. Generally speaking the safest companies are going to be the ones with either stricter hiring standards or have a robust training program or both. For me a great safety record is a great indicator that a company is doing things right.